Preparing For Disaster

Student Lawmakers

Woodside Class Proposes Change To State Law

NEWPORT NEWS — Cindy Verhoven told her government students they would make public policy.

And they are trying to do just that.

A former lobbyist in Delaware and legislative aide in Virginia, Verhoven assigned her students to a class project to involve them in government.

The result was a proposal to change state law on school crisis and emergency management plans in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. A local legislator has signed on to help the students make sure schools are better prepared for acts of terrorism.

"It was my goal for the class to increase their political efficacy, their ability to influence the political process," Verhoven said. "I wanted them to find something that was important to them."

For students, it has made a difference.

"I've never participated in the government this way," said 17-year-old Martine Laurent-Russell, a Woodside senior.

Now that she has, she likes government class and believes it will increase student involvement in politics.

"I think it's going to encourage more participation," she said. "People will feel like they've been heard."

Laurent-Russell and other students from two of Verhoven's government classes at Woodside High School in Newport News presented their idea to Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, R-Newport News.

Hamilton agreed to introduce a bill to amend the state code to add "any incident involving weapons of mass destruction" to a long list of emergencies school crisis plans are supposed to address. That might entail, for example, how to handle biological threats such as exposure to anthrax.

"Our country is currently looking at ways to make its citizens safer," the students wrote. "We are finding that although we are not unprepared for terrorism incidents, we are grossly under prepared. We feel our schools are no exception and hope that you will join us in providing for the safety of Virginia's most precious resource -- our children."

The law currently calls on schools to develop crisis and emergency management plans that outline ways to prevent and respond to various emergencies. Among those listed are natural disasters involving fire, floods and tornadoes, medical emergencies, hostage situations, bomb and gun threats, and spills or exposures to hazardous materials.

There is a clause that also includes "other incidents posing a serious threat or harm to students, personnel, or facilities," but no mention of weapons of mass destruction.

The students believe that's not enough.

"We can't wait for something bad to happen," Laurent-Russell said. "I'd rather be over prepared than under prepared."

Hamilton said if weapons of mass destruction are not specified, a school could ignore the issue.

"It's a serious enough issue in today's environment that I think these kids had a very good point to make," Hamilton said. "It's something, quite frankly, before Sept. 11, I don't think anybody paid attention to it."

The fear students felt after Sept. 11 prompted their proposal.

"We can't just talk about it," Laurent-Russell said she and her classmates decided. "We should do something about it."

Before approaching Hamilton, the students conducted a two-question survey of Peninsula school principals. They discovered that nearly half of 16 principals surveyed felt crisis and emergency plans do not prepare schools for terrorism.

They also posed a question about a model school crisis and emergency plan developed by the Virginia Board of Education to help public schools create effective plans. The state code requires the model and says the board can revise it when necessary.

Students found that 76 percent of principals surveyed believed the model could be improved.

Hamilton visited Verhoven's students last week and responded to questions about the legislative process and likelihood of the bill passing. He said he expected no contention and encouraged a student representative to testify before the education committee.

He told them he is concerned about public apathy and hopes their generation will turn that trend around.

Verhoven plans to take the students to Richmond for the upcoming General Assembly session to attend the education committee meeting.

Stephanie Barrett can be reached at 247-4740 or by e- mail at sbarrett@dailypress.com